Playing Football Manager as realistic as possible - How To?

Hey there,

I spend a lot of time playing the football manager. But of course, after a time, you know all the good kids and you understand a bit more like how engine is working. So, it get less difficult and you win after a time everything.

So I started to question myself, how I could get the game more difficult, a bit more "realistic". So let´s have an example. The first thing we do in nearly every save is to look at the players and we look at their attributes. Already this is something which I believe in reality is quite more difficult. You can´t just look at a guy and he tells you that he got 14 in "Technique", or 8 in "Determination". So an alternative to this would be if you could "disable" the attributes or simply modify the skin, so he don´t show you the attributes. So, this would be a shock for every FM player in the first minutes, because he can´t just look at the attributes. You would be forced to scout the player for a few weeks or games, and you would evaluate him on his stats. This would add a lot more reality to the game, as in real life, managers also evaluate the reports from the scouts to check if a player issuited for the club or not.

Another point would be to leave certain aspects of the game up to your staff. A manager can´t just handle every aspect of the game, expect you are Felx Magath. So maybe the junior team or the reserve team should be dropped an be controlled by a staff memeber (KI).

So you see, I´m searching for the real detail of improving the game for personal matter. I only want to make it harder, more realistic. If you have another ideas, you just can tell me, so maybe we can achieve to make a few more rules to play our saves

cheers

Don't most people already do this? After all, the game starts with Attributes Hidden and u19/Reserve teams managed by Youth/Reserve managers (in most cases)...

Don't most people already do this? After all, the game starts with Attributes Hidden and u19/Reserve teams managed by Youth/Reserve managers (in most cases)...

well yes, but of course you can see the attributes, and you can scout them. But the thing I wanted to do is to completly let them dissappear. So even if you scout the player, you can´t view his attributes, which leaves you completly alone with his stats and the scout reports

well yes, but of course you can see the attributes, and you can scout them. But the thing I wanted to do is to completly let them dissappear. So even if you scout the player, you can´t view his attributes, which leaves you completly alone with his stats and the scout reports

I see. Fair point. I'm sure a Modder could make a skin that hides attributes? Also you can change them from a number to a bar i believe - although never done it.

The "you start to know all the players" argument always amuses me. Just don't sign them. Pretty easy.

You then say the first thing we do in every save is look at the attributes. Bit of a broad statement. Can't say I really pay much attention to them at all. I'll go by scout reports, and then if there's two I need to choose between, only then I'll go to attributes in key places.

To be honest, although a "hide attributes" skin would satisfy some, you can do a lot of things in your own save just by using will power rather than relying on something being built. Go to an unknown place, go to a lower level, don't just load a shortlist up and sign everyone you know, go youth only, go old only...have a bit of imagination and the possibilities are endless.

I never sign the same players in different saves. Just feels wrong. Even signing players I've had in previous FM's makes me a bit uncomfortable. Once I have them in my team in a certain save they're part of that particular story.

There have been skins that completely hide attributes, don't know about FM16 though. Maybe have a look in the Skinning Forum.

You don't need to download special skins to hide attributes, you can do it yourself in preferences - go to the skin colours section and change the alpha on all attribute colours to 1.

well yes, but of course you can see the attributes, and you can scout them. But the thing I wanted to do is to completly let them dissappear. So even if you scout the player, you can´t view his attributes, which leaves you completly alone with his stats and the scout reports

Have always really wanted this. Would be a proper hardmode and would elevate this game to an entirely new level for me.

The "you start to know all the players" argument always amuses me. Just don't sign them. Pretty easy.

You then say the first thing we do in every save is look at the attributes. Bit of a broad statement. Can't say I really pay much attention to them at all. I'll go by scout reports, and then if there's two I need to choose between, only then I'll go to attributes in key places.

To be honest, although a "hide attributes" skin would satisfy some, you can do a lot of things in your own save just by using will power rather than relying on something being built. Go to an unknown place, go to a lower level, don't just load a shortlist up and sign everyone you know, go youth only, go old only...have a bit of imagination and the possibilities are endless.

The "you start to know the players" argument still works imo. It is a problem. As you say however it can easily be circumvented by the measures you talked about or by simulating for some years etc. the "you start to know the players" argument is still the reason for why a never start a save without fake regens and simulating 5+ years though so it does hold some weight.

You don't need to download special skins to hide attributes, you can do it yourself in preferences - go to the skin colours section and change the alpha on all attribute colours to 1.

Good idea, will have to try this one out. DAMN IT WORKS thanks i love you mate. You might just have saved some of my love for this game.

The "you start to know the players" argument still works imo. It is a problem. As you say however it can easily be circumvented by the measures you talked about or by simulating for some years etc. the "you start to know the players" argument is still the reason for why a never start a save without fake regens and simulating 5+ years though so it does hold some weight.

Each to their own, but when something can be easily ignored by someone who wants a tougher game - like the OP asked for - then I disagree. You don't need to do either of the things you mentioned, you can just, like I said, have willpower and not sign them.

The way I see it, attributes are how you realise someone 'might be a good crosser' or the like.

There are other ways of doing that IRL that you can't in game.

The way I see it, attributes are how you realise someone 'might be a good crosser' or the like.

There are other ways of doing that IRL that you can't in game.

Yeah, the problem is though that it can make it too easy to see exactly how good someone is. IRL its more diffuse. For example, nobody seems to know right now how good Mahrez, Vardy and Kante are. How much of their success this season was down to them playing in a well-oiled team and how much was it them being just brilliant individuals? In FM with the attributes you have it on paper which makes signings less risky.

Yes I understand that it will go by "will" etc. But I will have an hardcore modus, so the attributes are dissappeared, that I´m forced to look at the reports and at their stats, or view a match etc. This adds so much more realisme to the game and yes, it takes the game to another level. The even more hardcore modus will be if we let disappear the Current Ablity Stars and the Potential Stars. Then it will leave it only to stats and the human eye. Of course, everybody can play the game like he would, and that is good. I don´t call myself a master, even far from that, but maybe a veteran, so I only made myself thoughts how I can make the game a bit more challenging

cheers